Valve-actuating lever



I May 3, 1949.

H; E. PLEASANT VALVE ACTUATING LEVER Filed July 22, 1946 I HERMAN E. PLEASANT ATTO R N EYS Patented May 3, 1949 VALVE-ACTUATING LEVER Herman E.

Pleasant, Holland, Mich., assignor to Crampton Manufacturing Company, Holland, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 22, 1946, Serial No. 685,309

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to valve actuating levers and more particularly to a device which is a modification of and an improvement upon the lever assembly illustrated, described and claimed in the Pleasant et al. Patent No. 2,313,840, issued March 16, 1943, and assigned to my assignee.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a device of the general character above indicated which is pre-assembled and ready for use; to provide such a device which is composed of relatively few parts; to provide such a device which is simple yet rugged and sturdy in construction; to provide such a device which is compact and highly efiicient in use; to provide such a device which may be readily and conveniently fixed to the wall of a flushing tank; and, to provide such a device which is reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational View of a flushing tank, partly broken away and showing a conventional ball valve device operatively connected with its actuating lever assembly;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the handle for actuating the device, the flushing tank being shown in section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the assembly looking toward the left in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line l-d of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig ure 3;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the handle per se;

Figure 8 is a the device; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which the shank of a modified form of the handle is secured to the actuating lever of the device.

Referring then to the drawing and firstly to Figures 1-8 wherein like parts of the assembly shown are designated byv the same numerals in the several views, a flushing tank In of well known character having an outlet port I l, is provided with an overflow pipe l2 connected with the outlet port below the valve seat l3, all as best shown in Figure 1.

A ball valve l4 disposed shown in full lines in Figure perspective view of the fixture of upon its seat l3 as 1 is elevated therefrom to its position shown inv dotted lines in the same view when the tank is flushed by means of the actuating lever l5 through a pair of articulated links [6, l1, the upper of which is pivot-ally connected to one end of the actuating lever l5 and the lower of which is rigidly secured to the ball valve l4, which lower link I! is vertically slidably embraced Within aligned vertical apertures in the fingers l8 of the bifurcated bracket 19 secured to the overflow pipe l2 in a lateral disposition relative thereto. 7

The front wall of the flushing tank it is provided with an opening 20 therethrough, preferably squared or otherwise non-circular in character, and a tubular fixture 2| projected through the opening 20 of the tank, and having a head 22 provided with an eccentrically disposed arcuate lug 23 on and projecting laterally from its radial face, has a threaded shank 24 and an intermediate squared or otherwise non-circular portion 25 embraced within the squared or otherwise non-circular opening 20 of the tank.

A nut 26 threaded on the shank 24 of the fixture 2| is preferably employed to secure the fixture in its assembled relation within the wall of the flushing tank ID.

The actuating lever l5 has a laterally turned portion 21 having a U-shaped head 28 Whose opposite legs are here shown as provided with registering apertures I00, IOI as best shown in Figures 2, 3.

A handle 29 is provided with a laterally turned hollow head 30 of substantially hemispherical shape having a chambered recess 3| therein and a spindle 32 projecting centrally therefrom which chambered recess is provided with a pair of spaced radially disposed webs 33 extending from the spindle to the concentric inner wall of the chambered recess. The spaced webs 33 define an arcuate space in the hollow head within which space the arcuate lug 23 is disposed and operates.

The outer end of the spindle is here shown as provided with a tip 35 circular in cross section adapted for reception within the aperture I00 and an non-circular cross sectional portion 36 adapted to be received Within the embracing aperture Illl of the same configuration.

Referring now to Figure 9, the actuating lever l5 has a laterally turned tubular portion 31 here shown as provided with a bore having a flattened portion 38 adapted to seat the non-circular portion 36 of the spindle 32 and an inner portion 39 adapted to seat the circular tip 35 of the spindle.

In assembling the device on a flushing tank as shown in Figure 1, the spindle 32 of the handle 29 is projected through the tubular fixture 2| with the lug 23 thereof disposed within the spaced, radiallly disposed webs 32 of the chambered recess 3| of the handle 29, as shown in Fig- 5 ure 4.

The end of the spindle 32 projects into the tank In (beyond the. tubular fixture-2|, the outer end thereof being; fixedly seated withinapertures IOI, IE0 or the bores 38, 39 of the actuating lever I 5 Since the handle 29 and actuating lever cannot be axially separated after theyhave been fixedly secured, it will be seenethat.tilting-of the",

handle 29 from the positionof; the, actuating 15;

lever shown in full lines in Figure l to itseposie tion shown in dotted lines in the same view and lifting the ball valve M from -its-seat Iii-"resulting in the flushing of the tank I0, is limitedin' its tilting movement by the lug 23 ofthe fixture 2 irnconstruction, iscompact and highly efficient 30 in use, may be readily-and conveniently fixed to the, wall of .a. flushing tank, and is reasonably economicaliin, manufacture.

While severalspecific embodiments of the invention have been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that. certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claim.

I claim:

A device of the class described, a one-piece tubular fixture adapted to be fixedly secured in an opening in the wall of a toilet tank, said fixture including a flanged head and a radial face, the radial. face having, an integral eccentrically disposed laterally projecting 'arcuate lug,=thereon, a handle having an enlarged interiorly chambered head of substantially hemispherical shape and including a free peripheral edge which extends-about and over the flanged head of the fixture,- a centrally projecting spindle integral ;With;the heaeland extending beyond the peripheraltedge thereof, spaced radially disposed webs of substantially the depth of the chambered head therein integral with and extending from the spindle radially outwardly to and integral with 0 spaced portions of the inner wall of the head thus: ,forming .an-arcuatesspaceinathe head-and within: which space; the lug'is: disposed for 5 limitingthe rotative movement of. the handle-relative to -the fixture, a valveactuatingqlever secured to 5 the extended end of thespindle and a flush valve attachediadjacent the other end otthe lever.

HERMAN E. PLEASANT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES :PATENTS Name Date Owens septa 19; 1944 Number 

